Let's Keep America's Jobs In America

A recent business transaction gave me a personal wake-up call about the massive outsourcing of American jobs to foreign markets.

When my Gateway computer monitor broke down, a call to a tech service 800 phone number was answered by "Ryan" in Bangalore, India. He approved a replacement that was shipped within a week from Kentucky, but assembled in Mexico. The enclosed component guide was printed in Korea with no indication of whether it was North or South Korea.

My one small transaction confirmed a growing national concern that foreign markets are taking jobs formerly held by American workers. India, Mexico, and Korea are not the only countries, and Gateway is not the only culprit.

Lou Dobb's daily afternoon program on CNN lists the many American companies that outsource American jobs.

Pundits tout it as "good trade policies," but it's of little comfort to those Americans who are unemployed, under-employed or returning veterans.

Unfortunately, the hemorrhaging of thousands of lost jobs in many states is increasing. Corporate greed is rampant with unconscionably high CEO salaries, end-of-year bonuses and buy-outs as compensation from shareholders for lucrative Wall Street profits.

Our envied American standard of living, particularly among the working poor and the middle class, is fast eroding and before too long, there will only be low-paying service jobs with few or no benefits. Outsourcing impacts adversely on much-needed government revenues at several levels.

Why educate students for high-skilled jobs if they're overseas? Let's keep and protect our American jobs.